Monday, May 16, 2011

Boys' Life is the official monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It has been in continuous circulation since 1911, when the first issue was printed by George S. Barton in Somerville, MA. It's still in print today. As you might imagine it's articles and advertisements were geared toward boys, specially boys between 6 and 18 years old. In the 1920s it began to carry features on radio. By the time these issues were printed in the early 1960s it was more-or-less standard for the demographic. Below I've scanned and clipped some radio advertisements, articles and instructions.

Of particular is this one (above) that refers to the Boy Scouts of America amateur radio station VE3JAM. Boys Life also had their own Amateur Radio Club, K2BFW. It was based in New Brunswick, NJ. But that only operated 2 days a year mostly to communicate with VE3JAM during their radio jamboree. It was operated by Major Harry Harchar, the editor of Boys Life. I have very little information on either station. They operated the stations at least as early as 1954 and into 1966. Around 1970 K2BFW changed calls to K2BSA and operated at least into the mid 1990s from Camp Wisdom just outside Dallas, TX. More here.

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